Sugar-sweetened drinks are a key area of focus in reducing sugar consumption among Singaporeans because 60 per cent of their total sugar intake comes from sugary beverages such as soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea, said MOH.

This is part of the ministry's efforts to keep diabetes at bay - a worry flagged by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who spoke about the issue during the National Day Rally last Sunday.

With the 12g cap, sugar consumption from these drinks could potentially go down by about 300,000kga year.

It will also pave the way for further collaborations between the Government and industry players to reduce sugar consumption here, said MOH, which is also studying measures used in other countries such as sugar tax, warning label and advertising restriction.

Some experts, however, feel the bar has been set too low since many sweetened drinks, such as those by Nestle and F&N Foods, already contain less than 12g of sugar per 100ml.

At 12g per 100 ml, a standard 330ml canned drink will contain almost 40g of sugar, close to HPB's recommended intake of 40g to 55g of added sugar a day.